Reconstituted-tobacco smoking materials

ABSTRACT

A smoking material comprises a tobacco component consisting of or comprising a combustible reconstituted tobacco of a type which consists solely or essentially of natural tobacco substances, which smoking material contains more than 10 percent by weight of a filler intimately incorporated therein and consisting solely or substantially solely of chalk. The carbonate addition is applied in the particulate form and of a particle size less than 150 microns. Adhesion between the carbonate and the tobacco is effected by substances released by the tobacco, per se. The reconstituted tobacco may contain added tobacco extract as well as tobacco solids.

United States Patent [191 Hedge et al.

[ 11 3,805,802 [451 Apr. 23, 1974 RECONSTlTUTED-TOBACCO SMOKING MATERIALS [75] Inventors: Roger W. Hedge, Dibden Purlieu;

David J. Molyneux, Hythe; Peter J. Nicholl, Bassett Wood, all of England [73] Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Louisville, Ky.

22 Filed: May 24,1972

21 Appl. No.: 256,409

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,025,860 3/1962 Grossteinbeck et al. 131/140 C 3,203,432 8/1965 Green et al. 131/140 C 3,106,210 10/1963 Reynolds et al. 131/17 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 903,067 8/1962 Great Britain 131/17 R Primary Examiner-Melvin D. Rein Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow & Garrett ABSTRACT A smoking material comprises a tobacco component consisting of or comprising a combustible reconstituted tobacco of a type which consists solely or essentially of natural tobacco substances, which smoking material contains more than 10 percent by weight of a filler intimately incorporated therein and consisting solely or substantially solely of chalk. The carbonate addition is applied in the particulate form and of a particle size less than 150 microns. Adhesion between the carbonate and the tobacco is effected by substances released by the tobacco, per se. The reconstituted tobacco may contain added tobacco extract as well as tobacco solids.

1 Claim, N0 Drawings RECONSTlTUTED-TOBACCO SMOKING MATERIALS a combustible reconstituted tobacco of a type which consists solely or essentially of natural tobacco substances, which smoking material contains more than 10 percent by weight of a filler intimately incorporated therein and consisting solely or substantially solely of chalk (calcium carbonate). Advantageously, the filler is addedto the tobacco component before it is made stages. In a second series, B, the solubles comprised only residual solubles remaining in the fibrefiForthe impregnation, the extract obtained as aforesaid was concentrated in a climbing-film evaporator to a solids concentration of 29 percent.

The sheet was shredded to a form smokable in cigarettes and cigarettes prepared from the shreds were smoked on a conventional machine at l puff per minute of 35 ml volume and 2 seconds duration. The cigaret te dimensions were length 70 mm and circumference 25 mmfThe cigarette weight was 1,100 i 40 mg for series A and 930 i 50 mg for series B.

Analysis of the smoke for a variety of compositions of the reconstituted tobacco gave the following results into sheet filament or like form. Generally the filler will 15 for the total particulate matter in the smoke;

I Pressure Composition, percent drop in Total particulate matter cigarette Tobacco (mm. water Per cigarette Percent Series Tobacco Filler solubles gauge) in mg. reduction B s5 7 15. 0 47 29. 0 75. 2 11.5 13. 3 39 24. 15. 5 69. 7 18.0 12.3 43 21. 4 26. 2 65.6 22. 8 11.6 42 21. 2 26. J

constitute not more than 50 percent by weight of tit;

smoking material. The particle size of the chalk powder is preferably less than 150 microns.

Reconstituted tobaccos of the type set forth are characterised essentially by the absence of extraneous adhesives, binding being achieved by substances of, or released frorn, natural tobacco. Such reconstituted tobaccos are also to be distinguished from those in which the originating material is pulped chemically, using nitric acid or caustic soda for example.

Examples of ways of carrying the invention into effeet will now be more fully described:

A first Example illustrates the application of the invention to a reconstituted tobacco of the kind sometimes known as paper reconstituted tobacco, in which an aqueous slurry of tobacco solids is formed into a continuous web on a Fourdrinier-type machine. In this example, the reconstituted tobacco was prepared in the following manner:

Threshed Burley stem was cooked at 9095 C for three 30 minute periods, with a stem/water ratio of l to 10 by weight, followed by draining after each cook. The fibrous residue was then passed through a disc mill at 16.5 percent consistency, the clearance between the plates being 0.035 inches,-this being followed by heating in a conventional Valley beater for minutes at 2 percent consistency.

The resultant stock was diluted to 0.6 percent consistency and fed together with finely divided chalk, of which 90 percent was of a size that would pass a 325 British Standard mesh, to the headbox of a conventional Fourdrinier paper-making machine of the tissuepaper forming type. A continuous sheet with a final thickness of 0.1-3 to 0.23 mm was produced. Because of the low retentionof chalk, in relation to fibres, on the Fourdrinier wire, the ratio of chalk to fibres fed to the headbox will generally be two to three times the ratio required in the final sheet material.

Two series of samples of reconstituted tobacco thus prepared were used for tests. In a first series, A, the sheet material was impregnated with concentrated aqueous tobacco solubles extracted in the cooking rettes was .620 mg and the reconstituted tobacco was composed of Virginia stem without added extract. 1

Series v Cigarette Composition Total Particulate Matter Tobacco Filler per Cig- Reduction arette in These results show that a reduction in total particulate matter is achieved greater than would be expected from the dilution represented by the content of filler.

For a second Example, chalk was added in various proportions to a reconstituted tobacco produced as a described in US. Pat. specification No. 3,202,432, some times known as Batex, in which ground tobacco is extruded under high pressure to form coherent filaments similar to cut tobacco in cross section, the chalk being added to the comminuted tobacco prior to the addition of water and subsequent extrusion. Cigarettes were prepared from 50/50 mixtures of the reconstituted tobacco and flue-cured tobacco blend and were smoked in substantially the manner described above with the following results: 1

Percentage of Chalk Total Particulate Matter Proportions of chalk above percent in the total smoking material in the cigarettes achieve a reduction in the total particulate matter and for proportions of and per cent the reductions are greater than would be expected from the effect of dilution by the filler.

The minimum proportion that will give a disproportionate reduction will depend on the physical nature of the reconstituted tobacco material and its method of manufacture. The maximum proportion will be determined by the requirement that the smoking product, besides being of suffient mechanical strength for cigarette manufacture, must be combustible. A reconstituted tobacco is to be considered to be combustible, if a cigarette made wholly from it and produced in conventional manner does not require relighting on a majority of puffs when smoked to a 23 mm butt length under standard conditions, i.e., one puff per minute of 35 ml volume and two seconds duration. Thus, if such a cigarette takes a total of 10 puffs to smoke to a 23 mm butt length and does not have to be relit before any six puffs or more of those which are taken, the reconstituted tobacco is combustible.

Other kinds of reconstituted tobacco with which the invention can be employed include that produced by the process described in US. Pat. specification No. 3,043,727, sometimes known as processed tobacco leaf, in which process tobacco-parts extracted with hot water and disintegrated are mixed, as binder, with tobacco fines such as lamina or midribs, the particle size I of the mixture is reduced and the resultant aqueous tobacco slurry is formed into a continuous sheet and dried on a stainless-steel band.

The chalk was added together with the tobacco fines to the binder prepared from the water-extracted tobacco parts.

Results obtained with reconstituted tobacco of this kind are tabulated below, the weight of the cigarettes in this case being 1,250 i 50 mg.

Composition Pressure Drop Total Particulate It will be seen that substantial advantages were obtained from the application of the invention, using various kinds of reconstituted tobacco compositions and processes and cigarette weights. The smoke from cigarettes produced as described above was found to be agreeable.

We claim:

1. A reconstituted tobacco product having a base of ground tobacco and an impregnation of calcium carbonate therein, the calcium carbonate constituting at least 14.6 percent of the reconstituted tobacco product, said calcium carbonate being added in particulate form and having a particle size of less than microns, the adhesion between the carbonate additive and the tobacco being effected by substance released from the tobacco during slurrying. 

